I'm not sure how you fouled up. I followed the directions on the box for time and temp and my first bordered on being overcooked but it wasn't bad. The one thing I learned was that the ceramic grill cooks hotter and faster than an oven set at equal temperature. Reduce the time and temp a little and monitor it more closely next time. You'll get it down. Don't worry about a black stone. You want it to become seasoned over time. I've never done the parchment paper. Putting a thin layer of dry cornmeal on the stone to keep it from sticking has always worked for me.